USA - Tyson Chandler to train with USA men's senior national team

COLORADO SPRINGS (Olympics) - USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team managing director Jerry Colangelo today announced that New Orleans Hornets 7'1" center Tyson Chandler has accepted an invitation to train with the USA Basketball Senior National Team during its July 21-25 training in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"We're pleased that Tyson has accepted the invitation to train with the USA Senior National Team during the upcoming training camp in Las Vegas. This will allow Tyson and the team to be better prepared in the event that he is needed," said Colangelo.

Chandler was a member of the 2007 USA Team that participated in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship and finished 10-0 to win gold and qualify the U.S. for the Beijing Olympic Games.

In 10 games, he averaged 2.1 ppg., 3.6 rpg. and recorded a team second best 14 blocked shots, while shooting 56.3 percent from the field. Playing for the USA Blue Team in the 2007 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge, he recorded five points, a game high 13 rebounds and two blocked shots is just under 25 minutes of action.

Chandler helped lead the Hornets in 2007-08 to a tie for second best Western Conference regular season record with a 56-26 mark, while also winning the Southwest Division title and advancing to the second round of the 2008 NBA Playoffs.

Playing and starting in 79 regular season games, he averaged a career high of 11.8 ppg., 11.7 rpg., 1.0 apg., 1.1 bpg., while shooting 62.3 percent from the field. Chandler ranked first in the NBA for the second consecutive season for offensive rebounds (322) and offensive rebounds per game (4.1 rpg.); second in field goal percentage; third in rebounds per game; seventh in defensive rebounds (606); eighth in defensive rebounds per game (7.7 rpg.); 12th in double-doubles (38); 31st in efficiency ranking (20.04); 34th in blocked shots per game; 35th in minutes played (2783); and 37th in blocked shots(84).

The USA Senior Team will resume its training in Las Vegas on July 21 and will train daily through July 24. The Americans will cap the Las Vegas portion of its training on July 25 (5 p.m. Las Vegas local time) with the 2008 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge. The USA will meet the Canadian National Team in the State Farm USA Basketball Challenge that will be held at Thomas & Mack Center.

The United States will then train and play four additional games in the USA Basketball International Challenge that will see the USA play two games in Macao, China, and two more games in Shanghai, China.

The USA in the Macao portion of the USA Basketball International Challenge, will face Turkey on July 31 (8 p.m. Macao local time) and Lithuania on Aug. 1 (8 p.m. Macao local time). The games will be held at the Cotai Strip Cotai Arena (11,572 capacity) at the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel in Macau, China.

Moving to Shanghai, the Americans will conclude the USA Basketball International Challenge with tests versus 2007 EuroBasket champion Russia on Aug. 3 (3 p.m. Shanghai local time) and 2007 Oceania champion Australia on Aug. 5 (8 p.m. Shanghai local time). Both games will be held at the Qizhong Arena (13,708 capacity) in Shanghai.

The U.S. is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Aug. 6, and preliminary round play of the 2008 Olympics takes place Aug. 10-18. The U.S., which was placed in preliminary Group B, opens preliminary play Aug. 10 against host China at 10:15 p.m. (all times listed are Beijing local times which is 12 hours ahead of EDT); then play Africa zone champion Angola on Aug. 12 at 8:00 p.m.; on Aug. 14 at 8:00 p.m. the USA will face Qualifier C who will be determined through the July 14-20 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament; 2006 FIBA World Champion Spain on Aug. 16 at 10:15 p.m.; and the USA will close out preliminary play Aug. 18 at 8:00 p.m. against Qualifier B who will be determined through the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

The men's Olympic quarterfinals action takes place Aug. 20, semifinals play is slated for Aug. 22and the Olympic men's gold and bronze medal games will be held Aug. 24.

Selected forthe 2008 USA Basketball Senior National Team that will compete in the Olympic Summer Games were: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz);Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); JasonKidd(Dallas Mavericks); Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets);Tayshaun Prince(Detroit Pistons);Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat); and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz).

Duke University Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski is head coach of the USA Senior Team program. Serving as assistant coaches are Syracuse University and Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, New York Knicks head mentor Mike D'Antoni and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan.

FIBA